Posted on 10/31/2006 1:10:59 PM PST by InvisibleChurch
John Kerry certainly came out swinging at Republicans with his press conference on Tuesday, and while the TV airwaves and Web logs are now ablaze with commentary, Robert Novak cut through the hoopla on Fox News with this simple statement: "I think the biggest damage was done to his presidential campaign because I don’t think he looked very presidential with his performance.”
Novak also opined that it was never a good idea to "let politicians ad-lib too much ... particularly when they’re like John Kerry.”
He explained that Kerry, while in Los Angeles, "sees all these kids there and he says, ‘You gotta study. What’s the worst thing that can happen to you if you don’t study? You get stuck in Iraq.’
"He wasn’t trying to insult the troops, he was trying to make a point and it was stupid,” said Novak. "Now, there are two things [Kerry] could have done. He could have said, ‘I apologize, I misspoke,’ or he could go on the offensive. Why did he go on the offensive?
"He has been under terrific criticism inside the Democratic Party for not reacting more vigorously to the ‘Swift Boat’ attacks on him. This is something he lives with every day.”
Novak added that Kerry said twice in his press conference that he wasn’t going to "let this happen again,” meaning, according to Novak, "I’m not going to be a weakling again.”
Fox News anchor Jane Skinner said that it looked like we weren’t going to get "what some people were hoping for – even if it wasn’t an apology ... maybe an admission that everyone is misunderstanding him.”
Novak said, "One of the press conference questions was would he express regret ... he’s not going to do that. This whole business of the Swift Boat veterans is something that weighs on him. He thinks that if he had reacted more vigorously he’d be president of the United States right now.
"I don’t think it’s true, but John Kerry thinks it’s true and therefore there is this almost hysterical mode where he repeats himself over and over and over again. I really believe it hurt his presidential prospects.”
Regards, Repo
It seems so. It all seems to have started with the Dean Scream. Then, recently, we had Slick Willie go into a wild-eyed diatribe during the Wallace interview. Next, we have Al Gore foaming at the mouth about "global emergencies." Now, Kerry has become infected with the fever. I just hope that Hillary isn't vaccinated, and lets loose with what she really thinks.
LOL! It's not even logical. He was talking to students and said it in context of why they should study hard - so that don't end up in the military. No doubt at all what he meant.
This has to be about the worst gaffe from a politician I know of - certainly in recent history.
He's PO'd the Republican base, Independants and probably put undecideds in the Pubby column. It may even switch votes against the Dems.
The demosntration is simple to the American people. You simply cannot trust the Dems with national security and life&death issues. They don't have the maturity. This guy was their presidential candidate in the last election and is considered to be the figurehead for their party. As the head goes so does the rest.
What he has said about our troops is unforgiveable....
but....for a minute...look at him with humor....he says one thing one day, puts his finger up to see which way the wind is blowing and changes it..."I voted for the war before I voted against the war"....
...I have to wonder if the dems have gotten ahold of him yet, if not they will...and I don't think your'll be hearing anything more out of him for a while...
..he has just embarassed the heck out of all the dems and have ignited a fire that is unstopable now...the dems are going down in flames, thanks to John 'fing' kerry.....the dems 'october' surprise......
I remember Richard Nixon, I respected Richard Nixon. John Kerry is NO Richard Nixon!
I haven't watched much news today. Is the lamestream carrying the story? Will they even air Bush's response? As CIC, Bush has a responsibility to fire back at the asshole. He is about to speak. I hope he demonstrates the outrage that the rest of us feel about Scary's remarks. I believe Bush has the utmost respect and regard for the troops. I pray he comes out swinging and blast the bastard back to the stone age from whence he came.
"Is this a "meltdown" or not?"
I think Kerry pegged a hysteria rating of 8.0 on the Gore scale.
The Pres responds at 5 PM.
The President went to Yale for his History degree, Harvard for his MBA. Kerry went to Yale but ended up in Vietnam. Is he saying he was a goof off student?
What could Kerry say......I did NOT get a purple heart for getting rice in my butt!
Dole lost to Clinton in '96. Gore lost to Bush in '00 and Scary lost to him in '04.
Consider the difference between the way statesman Dole has conducted himself since his loss in '96 compared to the way Gore and Scary conduct themselves.
The guy is nuts and came close to being POTUS.....
He hates the military
He hates the country
He must hate himself but I have yet to see it
Novak is a DEMOCRAT excuse maker!! Kerry WAS dissing our military...BIG TIME...and he got caught. He's despicable!
I don't have any in Arizona, will New Mexico ocean front do?
That squirrel has more balls than John Kerry.
The body of evidence shows that Kerry has been and always will be an anti-military creep. He is the symbol of the Democratic party in more ways than one.
Academic Education of the Military
-- 49.2 percent of officers have advanced or professional degrees; 39.4 percent have master's degrees, 8.5 percent have professional degrees and 1.3 percent have doctorate degrees.
-- 22.8 percent of company grade officers have advanced degrees; 16.5 percent have master's degrees, 5.9 percent have professional degrees and 0.3 percent have doctorate degrees.
-- 85.4 percent of field grade officers have advanced degrees; 70.7 percent have master's degrees, 12.1 percent have professional degrees and 2.5 percent have doctorate degrees.
-- 99.9 percent of the enlisted force have at least a high school education; 73.3 percent have some semester hours toward a college degree; 16.2 percent have an associate's degree or equivalent semester hours; 4.7 percent have a bachelor's degree; 0.7 percent have a master's degree and .01 percent have a professional or doctorate degree."
http://www.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?storyID=123027385
I hope the conservative pundits expand on that nexus - that Scary's remarks, and him being who the party chose to be their presidential nominee just 2 short years ago, reflect the rat party view of the military - that they're a bunch of uneducated drop-outs with nothing on the ball. And they should use it as a reminder of all the things Scary has said about the troops - the lies he has told - and then again link it to this fiasco by pointing out that Scary's regard for the troops is as mean-spirited as it's always been.
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